Stitcher head



vFeb.25,11930. l J,L WAI KER ETAL 1,748,261

STITCHER HEAD Filed May 20, 1924 5 sheets-sheet 1 e@ @YQ Feb. 25, '1930. LWALKR ETAL 1,748,261

sTITcHER HEAD Filed May 20, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y l t j Q-F1 @zzw E. 30 y i E SMQ/11km ,3, i I

E E 1 Y E E 3? l n i n J. L. WALKER Er AL 1,748,261

STITQHER HEAD Filed My 2 0, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 M Q M 0 W! i@ A fluor/amig,

Feb. 25, 1930.

'Patented Feb. 25, 1930 f UNITFEDQSTATES PATENT oFFlcE;

' :ro'snprr'n WALKER, or BATON Rouen, 'AND suenen n. ALEXIS, on NEW ORLEANS.,

, y LOUISIANA STITCHER HEAD y v.Application filed May 20,1924. Serial No. 714,600.

This invention relates to a stitcher head designed primarily for stapling together pieces of veneer, 'and other materials, the de- A vicer operating to out predetermined lengths ,5 of wire from a strand supplied to the head,

` shape thel length intova staple ofthe desired length, anddrive .and .clinch it.

One'dof the objectsv of` theV invention 'istoj provi-de a y,stitcher head, the parts of which 10 are 'so .constructed and 'assembled that the legs .of the formed staple will not become deflected .or distorted during the stapling operation but will be driven positively through the rmaterial fed into thepath thereof. A furthery object is to provide a stitcher hea`dthe hammer `of which is not provided with projections likely to break off and render the structure useless. f A further object isto provide means where.- `by astaple of any length can be formed and driven by the stitcher head, this being permit-tedin view of a simple form of adjustment provided. c i yA furthery object is to provide a stitcher 25, head which is simple and compact, occupies a minimum amount of space, and is capable of variousl adjustments whereby yit is particularlyadapted for use in stitching'wood stock with wire.

With the foregoingandk other .objects in -view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in lthe combi-l nationand arrangement of parts and inthe details of construction vhereinafter described 35. and claimed, it being understood that changes inV the precise Aembodiment ofthe invention herein disclosedV may fbemade within the scope of 'what isclaimed without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

, In the accompanying drawings the preferred form .of the invention has been shown. In said drawings "1 Y `Figaireglis a front perspective view of the kstitcher head viewed from one side thereof. f Fig.r 2 is a similar view of the stitcher head viewedfrom theopposite sidey thereof. Fig. 3 is a section Von line 3 3', Fig. 2. qFig.A lis a sectionon line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5is asection on line 5 5, Fig. 2. Figure 6 is a section on line V6 6, Figure l.

' Figure 7 is a section on line`7 7, Figure 6. Figure 8 is a View similar to yFigure 6 showing a wire in position between the plunger' and the die. l

vFigure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 showing the relative positions of the parts after the former has bent the wire over the die and come into Contact with the work.

Figure 10 is a section on line lO lO, Fig' ure 9.y Y y Figure 1l is a View similar to Figure 9 showing the relative positions of the vparts at the beginning of the driving operation by 'the plunger, the die having been withdrawn from thepath of the staple.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference l designates the base plate of the stitcher head, this being provided, in the structure shown, with spaced superposedribs 2 extending transversely upon the back face thereof and connected by a retaining plate 3. Thus there is provided an opening 4 for the reception of a supporting bracket not shown. Secured to the front face of the base plate l at the sides thereof are longitudinal guide and retaining strips 5, the inner sides of which are beveled as at 6 so as to cooperate to provide va dovetail groove between the strips. y u

u Seated between the lower portions ofthe strips 3 is the main block 7 of the head, this block lbeing secured to the base plate 1 by screws 8 or any other suitable means.

' An opening 9 preferably rectangular, is eX- tended longitudinally through the vblock 7 and alongitudinal slot 10 communicates with this opening.v In this slot is mounted a lever ll yfulcrumed as at l2 and provided7 at its lower end, with an eXtensionor die 13 adapted to move into and out vof the opening 9. The block 7 has an extension ll adapted to rest upon the veneer or other vwork to be stapled. The opening 9 is extended longitudinally of this extension 14 as shown particularly in Fig. 7. l

Slidably mounted within the opening 9 is a former bar or plunger in the form of a tube l5 rectangular in cross section. This tube is extended some distance above the block 7dand the lower end' of the tubular bar or plunger has a short longitudinal slot 16. By referring particularly to Figures 1, 6 and 7 it will be noted that the die 13 extends under and in the path of ahammer rod'44 hereinafter specifically described and which is slidable kwithin the tube 15. As the p normal positions of the parts have been illusplunger bar 15Y is also cut away at one sideY of the slot 16 to receive the endof the die 13 which worksV in a plane intersecting the plane of slot 16. The upper end. of the plungerl is fixedly connected to a cross head 17 slidably mounted between'the guide strips 5. This cross head has a bracket y18 fastened thereto and extending. laterally ltherefrom, there being a push lever 19 pivotally mountedfin the bracket. 'A cam bar 20 is slidablyengaged by the bracket and has an inclined shoulder'21 near its upper end adapted torbe rengaged by and to shift the upper arm of the push lever when the.

cross head is moved downwardly.y A spring 22 engages lever 19 and bracket'18 and serves to hold the upper arm of the lever normally pressed against the cam bar. Thelower portion of the cam bar` is adjustably lmounted between spaced angle plates 23 and 24. The base flanges of these plates are adapted to be secured to the body or main block y7 by means of bolts 25. As shownin Fig. 2 the platef23 is formed with longitudinal slots 26 for the reception of screws 27 which engage the bar 20. By tightening these screws the bar can be held against'niovement.relative to the plate 23 but by loosening them said bar can be adjusted longitudinally to any desired elevation.Y n Y Secured between the lower portions of the A plates 23 yand24 are guide or spacing strips 28 and 29 between which is adjustably mounted a stationary cutter 30. VThis is adapted to be held against movement by afset screw 31 extending through the plate 1 24. `The inner 'end of the cutter 30 is beveled in a plane extending longitudinally of the cutter head, as shown at 32 and a longitudinal groove 33 is formed in the upper face of the stationary cutter 30. A movable cutter bar 34 is slidable between the plates 23 and` 24 and between the inner ends of the strip 28 and the wall of the block 7 as shown particularly in Figs. 6 rand l7. The lower v portion of this movable cutter bar is so shaped as to work close to the beveled end of the stationary cutter 30. A wire receiving slot 35 is formed within the block 7 in line with the groove 33 in the stationary cutter 30. This slot also alines withthe slot 16 in the former plunger 15. Obviously, therefore, a'wire fed along the groove 33 will be vfree to enter the slots 35 and 16. A spring 36 vis connected at one end to the plate 23 and bears at its other end inthe movable cutter bar 34 so as to hold said bar normally elevated.. The upper end of bar 34', as shown in Fig. 2, is normally engaged by the lower endof the push lever 19. Y

Slidably mounted between the upper end portions of the strips 5 isa head 37 adapted to be connected at 38 to an operating eccentricV not shown. `This headhas a link 39 slidably connected to it at 40, there being a longitudinal slot 41 within the link 39 through which the connecting pin 42 extends.

This link is fixedly attached to the cross head u 17 and by providing it the cross head andV the head 37 are allowed a limited relative A movement.

A spring 43 constitutes a yielding connec tion between the head 37 Yandthe crossliead 17 and fixedly secured to the head 37 by means of set screws 45l or the like isthe hammer rod 44 preferably rectangular in `cross Vsection and adapted to fit snugly within the former plunger 15 and to reciprocate relative thereto. A latch lever 46 is pivotally connectedto f the head .37 and is normally seatedwithin a recess 47 in the cross head 17. This latch lever has a lug 48 and a spring'49'bears against the lever and serves to holdthe lug 48 normally lapping cross headV 17 .so as to thrust thereagainst. The lower end of the latch lever is offset at an angle, as shown at 50. As shown` particularly in Fig. 1 the former 'plunger 15:

is provided on one side with a cam block *'51 and this is so located as to engage the former lever 11 as hereinafter explained. Y

ico

1n using this stitcher head a strand of Y wire is ,fed along the groove 33 in the sta* tionary'cutter 30 and under the movable cutter bar 34 so as to extend longitudinally within the slot 35 and transversely under the hammer bar44 and within the slotted portion 16 of the former plunger. The distance the wire is moved into the' slot 35 regulates thelength of one shank of the staple to be formed while the lengthof the other shank of the staple is controlled by ther'distanceof the cutter barl 34 from the hammer bar 44. The feeding of thev wire into the stitcher head and the dis# tance the wire is moved'into the slot'35 is all regulated by feeding mechanism provided for that purpose and which. constitutes no" part of the present invention,4 it being understood by those skilled inthe art that Vsuch wire feeding mechanism canbe adjusted to feedvanyamount of wire desired during each operation. f While the'wire is in this initial position, the die 13 of theformer ylever 11 is extended transversely under the wire and in tionary cut-ter to cut oif a length of wire.

to theV cross head 17 During this first portion of the downward movement the push lever `19comes against the cam shoulder 21 Vof bar 2O and is shifted out of engagement with the cutter vbar 34. yIt might be stated, however, that before this action takes place the cutter bar 34 is moved downwardly a sufcient distance to cooperate with the sta- As soon as push lever 19'is deflected by the cam bar the cutter bar 34 will spring up t0 its normal position.k As the plunger bar 15 moves downwardly itwill straddle the die 13 and during this operation the upper wall of theslot 16 thcreincomes against the length of wire supported above the dieV 13 and 'bends it downwardly over the die as shown in Figure 9. During this operation the block 51 comes into engagement with lthe upper arm -of the form lever 11 so as to hold the die positively in position for shaping the wire. Durgradually moves downwardly out of engagement with the lupper end of the former lever 11 and comes to position inwardly of the fulcrum 12. At this instant the end 50 of the latch lever 46 comes against the edge of block f 7 so that the latch lever is deflected laterally out of engagement with the cross rhead 17. Consequently a positive thrust through the latch lever from the head .37 to the cross head 17 is stopped and further movement of the head 37 in a downward direction will result in placing spring 43 und-er increased tension and will result in yielding pressure of the plunger bar or former against the work W, as shown iny Figures 9 and 10, and the continued downward movement of the hammer bar 44 relative tothe plunger 15. This' movementwill be limited by the length of slot 41. During this downward movement of ythe bar 44 relative yto plunger 15 the low-er end of the bar will Vcome against the crown portion of the formed staple S and as block 51 has wedged against the lower arm of leverv 11 and swung the die v 13 laterally, from under the formed staple, the `hammer will befreeto drive the staple downwardly Vinto the ywork W provided therefor. During' the return movement of the operating eccentric the .parts will be brought back to their initial positions andv another length of wire can be fed into the stitcher head after ywhich the foregoing op-` eration can be repeated.

Importance is attached to the fact that with i this stitcher'head staples of. different lengths can. be. made andpdriven. .This is done by placing shims or spacing plates between the attaching flanges ofthe plates 23 and 24 and vthe block 7.rv In this way the cutters 34 and bular former plunger movable with the cross head, a hammer bar movable with the head and slidable within the former plunger', a latch kfor transmitting thrust from the head to the cross member, a former die in the path of the plunger, said plunger and die cooperating during the movement of the khead and cross head in one direction forshaping a wire upon the die, means operated by the plunger during vthe latter portion of its movement toward the die for shifting the die out of the path of the hammer bar, and means for automatically uncoupling the cross head from the thrust member, the head and hammer bar being movable independently of the uncoupled cross head and against the action of the yielding connection to drive the formed wire.

2. In a stitcher head the combination with a head and a cross head mounted for reciprocation, a latch for transmitting thrust from the head to the cross head, and a yielding spacing means between the head and the cross head, of a ltubular plunger movable 4with the cross head, a hammer bar movable with the head and slidable within the plunger, a die movably supported normally in the path of the plunger, said plunger and die cooperating to shape a wire inserted therebetween, means operated by the plunger for shifting the die out of the path of the hammer bar, and means for shifting the latch to disengage the head from the cross head, said head being movable relative to the cross head and against the action of the yielding means to force the hammer bar against the shaped wire todrive it.

3. In a stitcher head the combination with a block having a feed slot therein, there being an opening intersecting the slot, a former plunger and a hammer bar mounted for reciprocation within the opening, and a movably mounted die normally projected into the path of the plunger bar, of a structure detachably connected to the block and shiftable relative thereto, a stationary cutter adjustably mounted within said structure, a movable cutter bar in said structure, a push lever movable with the former` plunger, said lever normally engaging the end of the cutter bar, and means mounted on said structure for engagement with the push lever to disengage said lever from the movable cutter bar during the movement 0f the plunger in one direction.

4. The combination with a block having a feed slot therein and an opening intersecting the slot, of a former plunger and a hammer bar mountedifor reeiproeation Within the opening, a die movably mounted'vvithin the opening and normally positioned in the path of the plunger, a structure detaohably connected to the block, a stationary cutter secured therein and having a longitudinal Wire' guiding groove,V a rmovable cutter bar Within said structure, yielding means;y for holding Y the movable Cutter bar normally in one position, an adjustably mounted cam bar, and a push lever movable With the Jformer plunger and normally engaging the movable cutter bar, said push lever and Cam bar cooperating to disengage the lever from the cutter bar after a predeterminedmovement Vof the former plunger in one direction. In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our Own, We have hereto aiTiXed our signatures. JOSEPH L. WALKER.

GEORGE D. ALEXIS. 

